Authorities in New York have revealed an indictment against the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, charging him with numerous violent crimes while he continues to lead the infamous criminal network.
Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, who is also known by aliases such as “Niño Guerrero,” “El Cejón,” and “El Innombrable,” is facing several federal accusations. These include involvement in a racketeering conspiracy, plotting to support terrorist activities, conspiring to import cocaine, and utilizing firearms, machine guns, and explosives in the course of drug trafficking, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Guerrero Flores, still at large, leads Tren de Aragua, a gang recognized as a foreign terrorist organization.
On Wednesday, prosecutors publicized an indictment against Guerrero Flores, claiming that for over ten years, he orchestrated numerous violent acts—such as murder, extortion, kidnapping, and sex trafficking—across the United States, South America, and Central America.
Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” is the notorious leader of Tren de Aragua. (U.S. Department of the Treasury)
“As stated, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores has been pivotal in transforming Tren de Aragua from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational terrorist group responsible for violence, extortion, and drug trafficking across North America, South America, and Europe,” expressed U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “In the Southern District of New York, we have indicted over 30 members or affiliates of Tren de Aragua with federal charges. Our mission remains to dismantle the cartels and transnational gangs that inundate our communities with lethal drugs and embrace death, violence, and corruption as a lifestyle.”
Prosecutors allege Guerrero Flores looked to maintain territorial dominance within Venezuela, leading TdA to later establish a strong gang presence throughout other South American countries and later infiltrating countries such as Europe, Spain, Mexico and Brazil.
In this handout photo provided by the Salvadoran government, guards escort inmates allegedly linked to criminal organizations at CECOT prison on March 16, 2025, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. The Trump administration deported 238 alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organizations ‘Tren De Aragua’ and MS-13. (Salvadoran Government via Getty Images)
TdA members allegedly entered the United States to build a presence in various parts of the country, including New York, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, Nebraska, Illinois and Colorado, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal authorities also allege that under Guerrero Flores’ leadership, TdA members worked alongside some of the world’s largest narcotics traffickers to import tons of cocaine into the United States using maritime drug distribution routes, while also selling firearms to large-scale traffickers operating out of Venezuela.
“Guerrero Flores both directed and personally facilitated the transportation of this cocaine by supplying teams of heavily armed individuals to protect and transport cocaine shipments for his trafficking partners and associates.,” federal prosecutors said in a press release. “These individuals were armed with, among other automatic weapons, AK-47s, MP5s, and AR-15s, as well as grenades.”
Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 16, 2025. (Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via Reuters)
The case against Guerrero Flores is part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Take Back America,” which aims to expel cartels and transnational criminal organizations from the country, while also cracking down on illegal immigration to protect citizens from violent crime.
If captured and convicted, Guerrero Flores faces the possibility of life in prison.
“Guerrero Flores operated Tren de Aragua like a multinational crime syndicate — laundering money through cryptocurrency, trafficking drugs by the ton, selling weapons of war, and orchestrating acts of terror across borders,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Louis A. D’Ambrosio in a statement.
“He ran this empire from prison, shielded by corruption, and in collaboration with a narco-state cartel intent on flooding the United States with cocaine. This case exemplifies today’s threat: criminal organizations that function like terrorists and terrorize like insurgents. DEA and our partners are dismantling them piece by piece — targeting their leadership, finances, weapons, and networks,” he added.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
